


Moonlight Sonata

by Roses5383



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, F/F, Slow Burn, Supernatural AU - Freeform, jiwoo is new and confused, sooyoung is old and tired, vamp!yyxy, werewolf!oec, witch!1/3, yyxy centric but everyone shows up
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:53:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23797216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roses5383/pseuds/Roses5383
Summary: Kim Jiwoo was unfamiliar with the world of supernaturals until an unfortunate incident turns her life upside down. Sooyoung, on the other hand, is just trying to make the best out of her seemingly endless life and responsibilities, all while caring for her small but tight-knit coven. After causing enough chaos to garner the attention of the esteemed council, it becomes Sooyoung's responsibility to find and handle Jiwoo. (Un)fortunately for her, Jiwoo is not what she's expecting at all.
Relationships: Ha Sooyoung | Yves/Kim Jiwoo | Chuu, Jo Haseul/Viian Wong | ViVi, Jung Jinsol | Jinsoul/Kim Jungeun | Kim Lip, Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Comments: 25
Kudos: 170





	1. Rising Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a just an edited version of the first chapter! Even though I *attempted* to proofread it before I posted yesterday, I noticed some spelling and grammar errors after I posted and I just wanted to fix them.

Kim Jiwoo couldn’t say that her day was off to the best start. As if waking up in tattered, blood-stained clothing wasn’t disorienting enough, the painful burning sensation that was slowly, but surely, spreading through her body sure was. The girl didn’t need to open her eyes to know that the sun was beginning to rise, the pain told her enough just in case the light behind her lids didn’t. Despite the unusualness of the circumstances she found herself in, Jiwoo wasn’t surprised in the slightest. The last few weeks had followed a similar pattern of events. The girl woke up with the sun, as a steady pain would begin to take over, try to find shelter before she began to (literally) sizzle in the sunshine, wait for the sun to set, and then borderline black out, as a very different kind of burning sensation would take over, spurring on a type of rampage that she would rather not remember. Every day, at daybreak, she would wake up in unfamiliar surroundings and the cycle would repeat.

Quickly searching for shelter nearby, desperate to escape the sun, Jiwoo couldn’t help but feel the anxiety about her uncertain situation seep in. She was an optimistic person by nature but even she struggled to find the silver lining in her current circumstances. Would she be doomed to live this way day in and day out, fleeing the sun, only to come alive in the night like the monster she thought herself to be? She couldn’t stand the thought of life like this, trapped by the sun and falling to the mercy of her own animalistic instincts. She didn’t know what other choice she had if she wanted to survive though.

Finding a small enclave at the bottom of a nearby cliff, Jiwoo collapsed in the shadow of the cliffside, shielding herself from the sun that had quickly become unbearable. To unknowing eyes, her exposed skin had the appearance of a severe sunburn, as if she had fallen asleep outdoors in the summer sun without enough sunblock. It was a human enough mistake. But Jiwoo wasn’t human, not anymore. The thought of loosing something so closely tied to the very essence of her being made Jiwoo reach up and pull at her hair, crying out violently in despair. Her small body was wracked with sobs, and she knew she would be out of breath if breathing was something she still needed to do. She screamed and writhed, throwing a tantrum similar to that of a toddler. She knew she was being immature, and that she would probably have the cops called on her if any normal person happened to pass by, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. She was too emotionally and mentally worn out. Even if she could bring herself to be concerned, what would to police be able to do to her? She was faster than them, stronger than them, had better senses than they did. The only things knew enough about to fear at this point were the sun and herself. After the tantrum subsided, Jiwoo laid closed to the cliff and closed her eyes. Even if sleep wasn’t necessary for the undead, it was better than continuing to wallow in her own misery and misfortune.

…

Jiwoo awoke hours later to cool evening air and a setting sun but the change in her environment wasn’t what prompted her to awaken from her pity nap. The hair on the back of her neck seemed to be standing on end, pushing her entire body to become alert. Her gut told her that something wasn’t quite right but she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Even with her newly honed senses, she couldn’t pick up on anything out of the ordinary, let alone alarming. The surrounding forest was quiet, yet the thought of turning away from the rock wall to face her surroundings filled her with dread. Slowly she rolled over to turn away from the wall and couldn’t help the piercing, high-pitched shriek she let out.

Beside her, two girls that looked to be slightly younger than herself were standing side by side. The taller of the two sported long black hair and dark, cat-like eyes. Her pale skin shone in the moonlight, contrasting with her all black ensemble. Her mouth morphed into a wolfish grin when she noticed Jiwoo looking in her direction. She seemed to be awfully confident, standing there in the middle of the woods at night, and her whole aura unnerved Jiwoo. Jiwoo didn’t know anything about this girl but her demeanor was enough for her to think that maybe she should be afraid. The girl’s companion, however, seemed to going for the opposite vibe. Her blonde hair and white dress were almost blinding under the light of moon, her big, round eyes and soft small smile were warm and inviting.

Jiwoo couldn’t reign in her racing mind in her state of rising hysteria. Had she only imagined escaping the midday sun, her reprieve just an illusion of the mind to ease her into death? Was she face to face with an angel and a demon, summoned by her second untimely death? The poor girl had seen stranger things and at least that would explain why, if she listened closely, she couldn’t hear any sort of breathing or heartbeat coming from the pair. Maybe they would be the judges over the fate of her soul, the golden-haired angel determining if Jiwoo's soul was pure enough for heaven, her raven-haired counterpart, the demon, ready to drag it to hell. Jiwoo wasn’t sure about this theory though. Did vampires even have a soul? If they did, Jiwoo was sure hers wasn’t going to be welcomed at the golden gates. No amount of repenting could make up for the destruction she had caused. Existential crisis aside, if there was one thing she was certain of, it was that these strange girls were far from human.

The blonde knelt gently beside Jiwoo and gently took her hand in hers. Her skin seemed to match the temperature of Jiwoo’s own, which meant that it was far cooler than what the average human’s would be. She smiled apologetically before speaking with high, yet pleasant, voice.

“I’m sorry for scaring you, I would have rather woken you up a bit more gently but Hyejoo thought that it would be more fun to scare you. She’s a bit stubborn when she sets her mind to it and we haven’t had a chance to be out and about in a while.” The small girl acted as if this sufficiently explained why they were lurking over Jiwoo in her sleep but Jiwoo couldn't bring herself to point that out.

“Um, that’s okay!” Jiwoo managed to squeak out, trying to indiscreetly move her hand back to her side, not wanting to offend the blonde.

“I, -uhm, I’m not entirely sure what’s going on! Are you here to kill me? Am I already dead? Again? Should I know who you are?” At Jiwoo’s stream of questions, the taller girl, Hyejoo, Jiwoo supposed, stepped out of the shadows, a bored expression on her face.

“To answer you, we won’t kill you if we don’t have to, you didn’t die again but you did die, so you’re undead technically, and no, I don’t think you know who we are. But we know who you are, Kim Jiwoo.” Although her voice was higher than expected from her intimidating appearance, Hyejoo’s tone was ominous, and her menacing answers did nothing to soothe Jiwoo’s panic. The blonde turned to glare at Hyejoo after her reply, huffing out in frustration.

“Stop being so cryptic Son Hyejoo, we have a job to do! We’ve messed around enough as it is! If we get in trouble, again, it’s on you this time!” After her brief outburst, she turned to Jiwoo once more.

“As you can probably tell, that’s Hyejoo, and my name is Chaewon. I’m really sorry to cut introductions short but we should really get going. We're running behind schedule as it is.” Jiwoo didn’t understand. These strange girls showed up out of nowhere and expected her to just follow along? Sure, Jiwoo was naïve but she was far from stupid. She wouldn't forgive herself if she didn't put up at least the tiniest bit of a fight. She rose from the ground to stand in front of the other two.

“Excuse me, but where exactly am I supposed to be going?” she questioned nervously, trying to sound at least a bit affronted and not completely terrified. Her hands were clasped in front of her as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, a nervous habit she had retained since childhood.

“With us, of course.” Hyejoo answered casually, the wolfish smile returning to her face. “And just a tip; if I were you, I wouldn’t try to run.”


	2. Sooyoung Does the Cooking, Sooyoung Does the Cleaning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad that you all seemed to enjoy the first chapter! This chapter takes place during the same period of time as the last chapter, except this time we get a Sooyoung pov. It's a little less exciting than the last chapter but I wanted to start setting up Sooyoung's role in the story before all of yyxy meet. Please excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes and hope you enjoy!

Ha Sooyoung couldn’t say that her day was off to the best start. She’d had to wake up at dawn in order to oversee the witches responsible for the annual renewal of the protective wards on the estate, which were incredibly boring but required her presence to make sure that they were done to her standards. To make matters more frustrating, the two other permanent inhabitants of the house failed to leave the personal belongings that Sooyoung requested be dropped off in her office before they departed, forcing her to go on a scavenger hunt of sorts in the disaster zones known as their bedrooms. She suspected that they had both conveniently “forgot” on purpose, solely to annoy her. The protective wards that were used to protect the grounds required personal items to be used in the ritual in order to allow only specified beings to freely enter the property. Sooyoung had half a mind to exclude her roommates from the spell, effectively locking them out, just for the sake of teaching them a lesson. She couldn’t do that though; she couldn’t stoop to that level of pettiness, even if the imagined look of anger on their faces brought her glee. She was the oldest and had taken it upon herself to be the most responsible, even if it pained her.

To make matters worse, whenever she returned to her study there was a new sealed letter from the council on her desk, nagging her about the progress of the assignment they had given her. Every time she saw “Best Regards, H&J” scrawled elegantly at the end of each letter, she couldn’t help the wave of annoyance that washed over her at the forced optimism and formality that came with every correspondence. Sooyoung couldn’t help but think that if they didn’t trust her to have something like this handled, they should have done it themselves, instead of constantly harassing her for updates.

After reading the latest letter to appear out of thin air and float down onto the desk in front of her, Sooyoung sank back into the worn leather chair and sighed. Being the head of the Ha estate was tiring, even if it was just herself she had to care for, technically speaking. Although money luckily wasn’t an issue, it was up to her to make sure everything ran as smooth as possible in day to day operations of the property, as well as handle the many tasks that came along with her actual job. Theoretically, she knew that her duties would be much easier to handle if she didn’t constantly have Chaewon and Hyejoo running around, causing complete havoc. From the small blonde’s inadvertent carelessness to the raven-haired girl’s downright masochism at times, the estate seemed to be in a constant state of chaos, leaving Sooyoung (poor, responsible Sooyoung) to put out the fires, both metaphorical and literal. Sooyoung wasn’t required to let Chaewon and Hyejoo live with her by any means but, despite the mayhem, she was grateful for the two girls and the way their presence alleviated some of her loneliness. She treated them as if they were her own blood. In a way, they were, Sooyoung supposed.

In spite of the limitless love she possessed for her quasi younger sisters and her normally endless patience, their antics had begun to push the usually level-headed older girl to her limits. She knew she couldn’t fault them for being more restless than usual though. They hadn’t been able to leave the estate in weeks and Sooyoung was weary to let them out of her sights with the current circumstances, despite knowing that they were perfectly capable of holding their own. She also knew that, deep down, they didn’t fault her for the authority that she exercised over them, knowing that it came from a good place. Still, that didn’t seem to stop them from making her life hell on earth sometimes. They were beginning to go stir-crazy, eager to escape the grounds and pestering Sooyoung endlessly, causing trouble when she didn’t concede to their wants.

Given her own desperation for a moment of piece, Sooyoung supposes that she should have looked at the request of the council as a blessing. Sooyoung had far too much to do to perform this task personally but, luckily for her, she knew two talented, restless vampires who would be perfect for the job. She would even get some quiet out of it. After the necessary briefing and additional preparations, she sent Hyejoo and Chaewon out, confident that their teamwork would protect them and that they would be able to get the job done.

That had been a few days ago though and Sooyoung was beginning to worry about her companions. She couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she put too much faith into their abilities. It had been a while since she had sent them out on a mission like this, after all. They were capable vampires with a respectably honed set of skills, especially in combination with each other, but mistakes were always a possibility and Sooyoung couldn’t help but fear the worst. It was too early to ask the council for assistance, not that she wanted to face their smug smiles that she would get if she came crawling for help anyway. Aside from that, she knew that Chaewon and Hyejoo wouldn’t forgive her for sending someone after them if nothing was actually wrong, taking offense at her perceived lack of trust in them. Sooyoung had always been a worrier though, she couldn’t help it. Even as a human, she constantly fretted over the smallest things and the current situation was no different, her tightly wound anxiety peeking through in her current demeanor. As guilty as she would feel about it afterward, she couldn’t help but yell at virtually anyone she came across throughout the estate, planning her lecture to give Hyejoo and Chaewon upon their return.

Maybe her mistake was sending them off as a pair. Individually, she knew without a doubt that they were competent and hardworking. Together, though, they were decidedly less so, feeding off of each other’s foolishness. Despite the differences in appearance and initial attitudes, it was easy for Sooyoung to see why they got along so well. Her understanding wouldn’t stop her from chewing them out though. After all, how hard was it to hunt a newborn vampire?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any ideas about who makes up the council? ;)


	3. Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We still have ways to go before this story really starts to pick up but we're getting there! I feel like this chapter is a bit dialogue-heavy but it was a bit hard for me to write for some reason. Still, I hope you enjoy!

The waxing moon illuminated the forest, as three vampires easily maneuvered their way through the tangled underbrush. The air between the trees laid still aside from the girls, the aura of the undead driving away any forest dwellers. Although Jiwoo didn’t move as gracefully as the others, she managed to keep up with their speed, trailing a respectable distance behind them.

It seemed strange to Jiwoo that they would let her follow at their backs instead of watching her. She supposed that, whether she meant it or not, Hyejoo’s threat had been effective. Jiwoo was far too afraid to try to escape the pair. After they had casually confessed to being vampires as well, Jiwoo though that they could easily overpower her, although she didn’t really feel up to testing it at the moment. Instead she focused on the calm around them. She felt like she was experiencing night for the first time again, the peaceful darkness wrapping around her as the cool air gently blew through her hair. In a way, it was a new experience. Jiwoo couldn’t remember many of the nights after she turned, and the ones that she did didn’t bring her any kind pf peace. Still, the comfort from the night wasn’t nearly enough to drive away the gnawing thirst that she felt clawing it way up into her chest, her throat burning in need.

“Hey! Pippi Longstockings! You okay back there?” a voice called out, dragging Jiwoo from her thoughts. Hyejoo and Chaewon had stopped a few meters ahead of her, Hyejoo leaning against a pine with what seemed to be her default expression of boredom and Chaewon hovering nearby with a look of concern painted on her face. Despite her apparent indifference, Jiwoo could knew by the voice that it was Hyejoo who had called out to her.

Choosing to ignore the nickname, Jiwoo timidly assured them that she was okay but their gazes continued to linger, as if challenging her for the truth. She shifted uncomfortably under their stares, rocking back and forth with hands clasped in front of her. She could feel the tension building around the group, even though she was certain that she was only building it up in her own mind, her thirst making it hard to form logical thoughts.

“Fine!” she burst out, wringing her hands nervously, the eyes of the other two vampires never wavering. “I guess I’m just a little bit hungry. Or thirsty? I don’t know what the correct terminology is…” she rambled before cutting herself off abruptly, a noticeable look of shame settling on her face. “It’s the first night since turning that I haven’t fed,” she admitted, voice much softer than her previous outburst. Hyejoo and Chaewon glanced at each other before their gaze returned to Jiwoo.

“We figured that would probably the case,” Chaewon answered gently. “We came prepared with blood bags for you, we just weren’t sure if you needed them or not,” she continued as she pulled the bag she had been carrying off of her back. She knelt down onto the dirt and began to rifle through it.

“If you were hungry you should have said something. It would’ve been better to just deal with it than to have you lagging behind all night! We could’ve been there already if you had just said something sooner.” Hyejoo burst out in annoyance, settling down after another warning look from Chaewon. Jiwoo once again ignored Hyejoo’s word, instead thinking about the relationship between the pair. Jiwoo couldn’t help but find their dynamic fascinating. Although Hyejoo was far more intimidating, with a stubborn air about her, she seemed to bend to Chaewon’s will with almost no resistance. It wasn’t the first time that night that Chaewon had cut off a snarky comment or whiny complaint with just a simple look. With any minor problem that arose, whether it be problems with directions or a rustling that seemed to come a bit too close to them, Hyejoo would quickly turn to Chaewon for guidance. If Hyejoo was the brawn behind whatever operation Jiwoo had been dragged into, Chaewon seemed to be the brains.

Chaewon passed a blood bag to Jiwoo, who eagerly tore into it and began to drink. Although she felt uncomfortable with the other two still staring at her, the raw pleasure she got from her first drink of the night seemed to push out any other thoughts. Too soon the bag ran dry and Jiwoo couldn’t help the low whine of desperation that escaped her mouth. One bag wasn’t nearly enough, it had just whetted her appetite, the hunger washing over her and threatening to carry her away from the control that she was trying so desperately to maintain. As if reading her mind, Chaewon silently handed her another bag before slowly stepping back. The process repeated until Jiwoo had been properly sated, sighing happily with a pile of empty blood bags strewn carelessly around her in the aftermath.

Chaewon and Hyejoo hadn’t said a single word the entire time she was feeding but, once she appeared satisfied, Hyejoo quickly picked the blood bags up off of the forest floor and continued to walk in the direction they had been heading in.

“We’re almost there, maybe another thirty minutes or so,” she said, not bothering to turn back to see if the other two were following. Feeling empowered by rush the blood had given her, Jiwoo thought it was time to revisit a question she had asked earlier in the night.

“You keep saying that we’re heading ‘there’ but where is ‘there’ exactly?” Jiwoo questioned, feeling bolder than she had the entire night.

“We’re heading to the Ha estate. You’ve been summoned.” Hyejoo answered shortly, still without turning back and as emotionless as ever.

Hyejoo’s response, once again, left Jiwoo with even more questions than before. Jiwoo didn’t think she was a genius by any means, yet she had hoped that she would be able to piece together at least a fraction of what was happening. Instead, every answer she received only left her more confused than the last, prompting her to think that maybe, at this point, it was better not to ask.

…

True to Hyejoo’s word, after around thirty minutes of traveling at a superhuman speed, the trio slowed down once they approached the enclosed grounds of what Jiwoo assumed to be the Ha estate. Through the iron-wrought gate, the grounds seemed to be growing barren in the fast approaching winter and did little to distract from the imposing grey stone mansion settled in the center of property. She could imagine the empty flowerbeds and trees blooming in the spring, bringing bursts of color and life to the dreary scene. The forest sprawled in all directions around them and Jiwoo could hear the sound a flowing water from a stream somewhere nearby.

Once they approached the gates, Chaewon pressed a small button on the inlaid buzzer. The response was almost immediate, a crackling voice reaching through the speakers. “State your business.” a disembodied voice said listlessly.

“It’s Chaewon and Hyejoo. We have Kim Jiwoo, as requested, so we’ll need someone to lower the wards so that we can get her across property line.” Chaewon responded, moving backwards as the large iron wrought gates began to open. Jiwoo felt a strange buzzing wash over her as she walked through the tall gates but otherwise appeared to be unharmed. She followed the other two girls up the paved path that led to the house, a reawakened sense of fear washing over her. The brief journey had distracted her from the ever-present anxiety but, now that they had reached their destination, Jiwoo felt afraid. She really had no idea why she was here but it was too late to turn back now. Not when she was about to walk through the front door.

As soon as they stepped over the threshold, a booming voice called out to them, echoing around the large foyer.

“Where have you two been!? More than a week? More than a whole week without any sort of news from you two!? What if something happened?! Was I just supposed to sit around and wait for you to turn up dead!?” Jiwoo cowered at the sudden sound and turn to look at Chaewon and Hyejoo but the pair weren’t looking in her direction. Instead, they faced towards the large staircase that seemed to be the centerpiece of the opulent entryway. Or, more accurately perhaps, they faced towards the dark blur that was currently whizzing down the steps.

Coming to an abrupt stop in front of them was one of the most beautiful women Jiwoo had ever seen. The brunette woman had angular features with full lips. Her figure was lithe and leaned on the taller side, closer to Hyejoo’s height than Jiwoo’s. Jiwoo couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her brown eyes, which were so dark that they seemed almost black until light reflected off of them. Although Jiwoo knew she was staring, the taller brunette hadn’t looked in Jiwoo’s direction yet, instead hammering on in what appeared to be a lecture for the other two girls.

“I swear, you two get some sick rush off of worrying me. The both of you can figure out how to work every gaming console that’s come out in the last century but neither one of you can figure out how to work a cell phone!? You could’ve sent a message by carrier pigeon for all I care! I should’ve locked you out of the estate like I wanted to, maybe that would have taught you a lesson in responsibility!” the taller brunette continued to rant, not giving pause to allow any sort of explanation. Once she had settled down, Hyejoo stepped forward, a blank expression on her face.

“Come on Sooyoung, be reasonable here. Where on earth would we have gotten a carrier pigeon from?” Hyejoo answered solemnly, as Chaewon giggled next to her, her tone contrasting with the clear mirth in her eyes. Sooyoung’s eye twitched as she stared Hyejoo down and Jiwoo was afraid that she was about to explode. If looks could kill, Hyejoo would have been six feet under already.

Breaking the staring match with raven-haired girl, Sooyoung finally turned to face Jiwoo, her eyes raking down her body.

“This is Kim Jiwoo?

“The one and only.” Hyejoo responded airily, as Jiwoo remained silent, her head hanging down with her hands clasped meekly in front of her.

“Why isn’t she restrained? Did you travel the whole way like this? I can’t believe you two would be so irresponsible!” Before Sooyoung could launch into another rant, Chaewon swiftly cut her off, informing her the Jiwoo had come willingly without resistance. Sooyoung glanced at her warily once Chaewon finished speaking.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a criminal who didn’t put up a fight, at least not one that also happened to be a vampire.”

“Criminal?!” Jiwoo squeaked out, breaking her silence for the first time since stepping foot inside the residence. At the smaller brunette’s outburst, Sooyoung whipped around to face Chaewon and Hyejoo once again.

“You didn’t even tell her why she had to come here?” she asked, voice rising once more. “And you!” she exclaimed, spinning back to face Jiwoo. You came willingly without any idea about what’s going on? Are you stupid or something? Who willingly follows strangers through the woods?”

“I didn’t think I had a choice! I was scared!” Jiwoo replied defensively. She didn’t appreciate being called names by strangers, no matter how pretty they were.

Sooyoung sighed apologetically before lowering her voice back to what she deemed to be a socially acceptable volume. Taking a deep breath, she spread her hands and addressed Jiwoo in a much more formal manner than before, her voice never wavering as she delivered information that made Jiwoo’s still heart drop out of her chest.

“I’m sorry for you to find out this way but, Kim Jiwoo, you’ve been summoned here because you are under arrest for breaking laws of the council. They’ve already been made aware of your arrival. Your trial is tomorrow.”


	4. Jiwoo’s Little Helpers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it’s been so long since the last update, the quarantine life has been rough and I’ve had no motivation to do anything! I’ll (hopefully) be updating more often but don’t hold me to it. Any and all errors are my own. Enjoy!

Not long after her encounter with Sooyoung, Jiwoo found herself laying in a luxuriously oversized bed, her fingers nervously twisting in the cool silk sheets. The guest bedroom seemed to live up to the standard of the rest of the house, an atmosphere of antique elegance created through the striking dark wood furniture and brass fixtures. A stained glass window that Jiwoo could only consider to be a piece of art was covered with a blackout current to both her relief and disappointment. Unsure how else to spend her time, she closed her eyes and tried to ease her mind. Her heart would’ve certainly been pounding in her chest if it was still able to beat. She didn’t know what to make of her current situation. Thoughts raced through her mind, playing tag with one another before dissipating into nothingness as she tried to grab ahold of them. She was overwhelmed, to say the least.

Slowly her thoughts drifted to the apparent owner of the manner. Jiwoo hadn’t had any expectations upon meeting Sooyoung, after all, she didn’t know about the woman’s existence until they had met. Yet, Sooyoung had still surprised Jiwoo. Despite the explosive “welcoming”, if she could call it that, Sooyoung had been nothing but kind to her despite her apparent criminal status. As she had informed the young vampire about the circumstances that led Jiwoo to her current situation, her eyes remained warm, filled with a mixture of understanding and pity. Jiwoo didn’t want pity though, she wanted to be out of this mess that she had caused.

  
After Sooyoung had delivered the bad news, she seemed to sense Jiwoo’s distraught mood and retreated back into her study. Left to her own devices, Jiwoo couldn’t block out the screams of terror that had plagued her memory in quiet moments. Screams that she had caused in her moments of desperation, as the primal, animalistic need to feed and to destroy overshadowed her gentle nature and tore her morals to shreds.  
To ease her mind, Jiwoo let her eyes drift shut and allowed herself to be comforted by the noises she heard around her. Somewhere far off in the house, she could hear Chaewon and Hyejoo’s high-pitched voices bickering back and forth, eight-bit music from a retro video game playing in the background. Closer to her room, she could hear Sooyoung’s light footsteps pacing around in her study. It all sounded so…normal. If she tried hard enough, she could pretend that she was back in her childhood home, her siblings arguing whose turn it was to play next while her parents went about their business in the house. Jiwoo craved the normalcy that she knew could no longer be afforded to her and it sent an aching feeling of longing through her chest. She just wanted to be normal again.

  
Despite her intention of resting, her legs seemed to carry her on their own accord, out of bed and into the dimly lit hall. Sooyoung had given her the freedom to do as she liked before the trial began as long as she didn’t leave the house itself so she might as well take advantage of her ability to wander freely while it still existed.

  
Sooyoung must of her footsteps as she neared the study, poking her head out from behind the heavy looking wooden door, a gentle smile on her face. “Jiwoo! Did you need something? Is your room to your liking?” Jiwoo couldn’t help but return the smile. “It’s great Sooyoung” she assured softly. “Thank you for hospitality.” “It’s the least I could do” the older vampire answered, her face switching into a more serious expression. “After all, what happened...well it’s not really your fault. You had no way to know better, no one to teach you. You shouldn’t have been left alone.” The finality in her tone, despite its softness, surprised Jiwoo. Jiwoo didn’t know what to make of the sympathy that was being offered to her, not when she didn’t feel worthy of it. She thanked Sooyoung quietly before excusing herself, now eager to put some distance in between her self and the other woman.

Descending down the grand staircase, Jiwoo followed Hyejoo and Chaewon’s voices, which led her to a surprisingly modern living room. The two vampire were sprawled out on their stomaches side by side, focusing on a mounted flat screen tv with a Nintendo 64 plugged in, Hyejoo playing Mario 64 while Chaewon screamed directions at her from her side. It was a surprisingly endearing scene and, if Jiwoo didn’t think to hard about it, it allowed her to forget how dangerous they really were. Too wrapped up in the game, they didn’t seem to notice her approach but as she stood awkwardly in the doorway, shifting from one foot to another, they finally looked up to acknowledge her presence. Now with their mission safely behind them, no longer afraid of facing Sooyoung’s wrath, the smiles they directed her way seemed more laid back and genuine. Even the wolf-like Hyejoo seemed to have a softer air about her as she laid out in her matching pineapple pajama set, the game controller hanging lazily from her hand.

  
“Do you want to play?” she asked Jiwoo, more animated than Jiwoo had ever seen. Beside her, Chaewon protested the offer with a loud groan. “You said I could play after you died!” the small blonde argued, crawling over Hyejoo as she attempted to wrestle to controller out of her hand. “Don’t you think that maybe Jiwoo deserves a turn?” Hyejoo reprimanded softly, shaking the smaller girl off of her. At the question, both girls turned towards her and gave her looks filled with what could be only called pity. Or at least as close to pity as they could get. Jiwoo politely declined their offer and instead opted to lounge on the couch above them and watch.

  
Jiwoo could tell that the two girls tried to remain tactful and refrain from asking any questions that may have been considered too personal. Eventually, though, their curiosity got the better of them and the conversation shifted from polite chit chat to the topic of the impending trial.  
“Did Sooyoung tell you anything about the trial?” Chaewon asked, her eager voice portraying her burning curiosity. Just like when they had first met, Jiwoo felt uncomfortable under their intense gazes and instead lowered her eyes to her interlocked fingers. The fact of the matter was that Sooyoung hadn’t given her any information about the trial or about the process. She faintly remembered a mention of a council of sorts but Jiwoo wasn’t sure if they were directly involved with the judgement or just her being apprehended. As she confessed this to the two vampires sitting below her, their pitying gazes returned.

  
“Well, I’m not sure how much we’re actually allowed to tell you but Hyejoo and I have never been the best at following rules. It drives Sooyoung up the wall but that’s a part of what makes it fun!” Chaewon exclaimed cheerfully. “We can tell you a little but about what to look out for so that you’re not completely caught off guard.”

  
Hyejoo took the opportunity to cut in and began to explain. “Basically the council is made of three reps, the witch rep, the werewolf rep, and the vampire rep. They represent other smaller supernatural populations too but that’s not so important. At trial, they’ll tell you what you did wrong, you defend yourself, and then they make a decision. It’s pretty simple.”

  
“But we all know that the legal process is boring as hell” Chaewon continued. “What’s more important are the reps themselves. They’re pretty predictable but it’s funny watching them argue!” Hyejoo tossed the game controller aside and climbed up to join Jiwoo on the couch, seeming eager to discuss the council members. “Don’t worry about the vamp rep, she’ll probably vote in your favor unless she thinks you were doing things on purpose. The werewolf rep will probably vote against you no matter what you say so don’t waste your breath. The best strategy would be to win over the witch rep. She’s way less petty than the other two. She’s normally the swing vote, so if you winner her over you should be in the clear.” Even though Jiwoo wanted to question why they seemed to know so much about the council members, she kept her curiosity to herself and instead focused on being grateful for the help she was being given. “Even though Sooyoung won’t be able to cheer you on, we’ll be there to support you!” Chaewon threw in.

Jiwoo listened to the girls talk carefully, compartmentalizing her own emotions in order to process the information that was being given to her. After their chilly start, she couldn’t help but wonder why Hyejoo and Chaewon were taking the time to help her. It wasn’t like they owed her anything and she couldn’t stop herself from voicing her question. Surprisingly, it was Hyejoo who answered. “We’re not heartless you know. We don’t think you’re a monster so we don’t think you should be treated like one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought that this chapter would be the trial but I decided that I wanted one last chapter of setup before we really start getting into the story. Here we got a kind but secretive Sooyoung and Hyewon who seem to have a surprising soft spot for Jiwoo! In the next chapter, the trial will begin!


	5. The Trial (Pt I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So because this chapter ended up being longer than I thought, I decided to split it into two parts. To make up for taking so long for that last update though, I’ll be posting both parts at the same time! Consider it a gift from me to you :) As always, all spelling and grammar errors are my own.

Jiwoo slowly opened her eyes, stretching her limbs out to savor the feeling of her skin against the soft sheets. After spending time with Hyejoo and Chaewon, she had decided that another nap would be the only way to ease her mind, the other girls’ words repeating in her head. She had a chance to prove her innocence, or at least ignorance, and she clung onto that hope, the hope that she would shed off these accusations against her and begin living her own new version of normal. Although the weight of her ghastly actions settled deep in her heart, Chaewon and Hyejoo had told her the she wasn’t a monster and she desperately wanted to believe it. Maybe coming through this trial relatively unscathed would be the first step in proving it to herself.

She rose from the bed to find a set of clothes neatly placed at the end, a folded note centered on top of the stack. Jiwoo ran her hand over the creamy parchment before unfolding it to read.

_Jiwoo,_

_As Chaewon and Hyejoo informed you last night, I unfortunately won’t be joining you in your preparations for today. Still, I wanted to help at least a bit and I figured that, with your current state of affairs, you likely wouldn’t have an outfit to wear for today. I managed to pull some pieces together from our closets that I thought would suit you. They may not be an exact fit but will hopefully be close enough. If you need anything at all, please let the girls know._

_Best of Luck,_

_Sooyoung_

_P.S. Hyejoo and Chaewon don’t know I went through their things so if they bring up a piece of your outfit looking familiar, please shrug it off for the sake of saving me a headache. Thank you in advance!_

Jiwoo couldn’t help but stare at the note in puzzlement. She couldn’t figure out what to make of Sooyoung’s hospitality. Although she had been rather coldduring first introductions, her stony expression had quickly melted away into what seemed to be a more permanent warmth. Jiwoo was a criminal and yet, Sooyoung did her best to make her feel at home in the short time she had remained at the manor. The younger girl couldn’t help but be suspicious to her motivations. She wasn’t totally naive! Yes, she had lived her human life in comfort but she had witnessed enough of the misfortunes of others to know that such unwarranted kindness often didn’t come without a price. Perhaps Sooyoung was privy to the likely outcome of the trial and had covered her pity for Jiwoo’s future with a final display of humanity. There was no way to know for sure.

Unfolding the clothes that had been left, Jiwoo had discovered it to be a simple outfit of a black turtleneck and slacks, accompanied by a a slightly oversized gray tweed blazer. Newly shined black loafers were line up along the foot of the bed, completing the look. It was simple yet somber. Jiwoo thought it was fitting for the day’s mood.

She was able to dress quickly, not having to worry about hair or makeup since she didn’t have any of the things necessary to make such changes. Instead, she stood in front of the full-length mirror that the bedroom was equipped with and combed through her hair with her fingers, trying to look as presentable as possible given her extremely limited resources.

When she exited her room and descended down the steps, she found Hyejoo and Chaewon waiting for her in the foyer, already prepared for the day. They both remained quiet but spared her small smiles as she approached them. As she got closer, Hyejoo squinted her eyes in what appeared to be suspicion as she eyed Jiwoo’s blazer but, fortunately for Jiwoo, and therefore Sooyoung, she didn’t say anything about the piece of clothing that she had last seen hanging neatly in her closet. Chaewon, too, had suspicions about where the black dress pants would have come from, too short in length to be borrowed from Sooyoung or Hyejoo, but decided to spare Jiwoo from any accusations. She would facing enough of those soon enough.

Breaking the slightly awkward silence that the three of them found themselves in, Chaewon stepped forward to lightly grab Jiwoo’s elbow, guiding her to the front door that Hyejoo had turned to open.

“The easiest way for us to get to the high council’s chambers is traveling by portal. Because the grounds here are locked down with protective magic, it has to be opened in the forest. It’s not too far though” Chaewon informed as they walked out the door, Hyejoo leading in front of them. “You guys can make portals?” Jiwoo questioned, eyes wide in amazement. The girl beside her scoffed lightly before answering. “Of course not, vampires aren’t capable of that kind of magic. The portal is opened by a witch.”

Jiwoo supposed that the existence of witches was a given, especially if creatures like vampires could exist but still, she was surprised. To her, witches and other supernatural creatures had always been a thing of fairy tales, present to teach you lessons or to scare you into obeying. They had never been something tangible, something she could encounter in her real life and she couldn’t help but be fascinated.

Interrupting her train of though, Hyejoo began to whine loudly as they descended deeper into the snow covered forest. “I hope they don’t let Yeojin make the portal this time, last time I was nauseous for hours. I swear, that little lentil bean does it on purpose.” 

“Be careful talking like that” Chaewon warned, though she couldn’t stop her laughter from accompanying it. “If she hears you talk like that, she might jinx you one day. What then?” “I could take her” Hyejoo claimed confidently, although her bravado was undermined by her anxiously shifting eyes, seemly worried that someone _had_ overheard her.

As they continued to banter and discuss the mysteriously powerful but small Yeojin, Jiwoo began to notice that the air in the near distance seemed to shimmer in the moonlight reflecting off of the fallen snow, like heat radiating off of hot pavement in the middle of summer. It wasn’t just a visible change either, the forest around the three girls began to thrum with energy as they moved closer to the disturbance, causing the hair on the back of Jiwoo’s neck to rise as they approached. Chaewon and Hyejoo seemed to feel the change as well, as they too cowered away from the glimmering air, looks of apprehension on their faces.

“Here we are!” Chaewon managed to breath out with faux cheerfulness, cringing from the sheer amount of energy radiating towards them. “We should’ve probably warned you beforehand. Even though traveling by portal is definitely the fastest way to go, it’s...unpleasant to say the least.” Hyejoo grunted in agreement, a pained expression beginning to make its way onto her face. Jiwoo couldn’t blame her, she could feel her head beginning to ache with pressure being exerted around them. “That’s the portal?” she asked anxiously, her stomach filling with dread at the thought of even getting closer to the portal, let alone making actual physical contact with it.

“It’s best to just run into it. I’ll go first and then you’ll go, Jiwoo. Hye will follow behind.” Before Jiwoo could open her mouth to respond, Chaewon had tapped into her supernatural speed and was running towards to portal, dematerializing in front of Jiwoo’s very eyes as soon as her body made contact with it. Jiwoo’s mouth dropped open in shock. In theory, she had known what was going to happen but it was a whole other ordeal to see it. There was so much to this world that Jiwoo had yet to discover, so much that she might never discover. 

Clearing her throat, Hyejoo made eye contact with Jiwoo and jerked her head towards the glimmering air. The red-haired vampire sighed in apprehension before she closed her eyes and threw herself towards to portal, hesitation gone as she let her speed take over.

Jiwoo could tell the moment she had made contact with the portal. It was if she had been thrown into a vacuum, limbs pulled in different directions while the air around her grew hotter and hotter, the energy around her vibrating with the sheer amount of it. Jiwoo felt as though she had been trapped in this in between space for a lifetime, eyes screwed shut and jaw clenched, when, finally, she felt cold stone against her body, a thud from the impact echoing around her.

Opening her eyes with a groan,Jiwoo opened her eyes to see three sets of eyes peering down at her. The two familiar pairs held amusement while to other seemed to look her over with concern. Grabbing onto the hand that had been extended towards her, Jiwoo stood from the ground and adjusted her clothing before making eye contact with the stranger who stood among them.

Jiwoo couldn’t deny that the unfamiliar girl was beautiful, warm brown eyes and a shock of pink hair immediately grabbing attention. Despite her shorter stature, similar to Jiwoo’s own, she radiated power mixed with a soothing calmness. Once Jiwoo had a chance to settle, the girl began to speak. “I’m Vivi, moderator of the council” she introduced softly, her hand extending towards Jiwoo. “I’m Jiwoo” the vampire answered in return, grabbing her hand to shake. Jiwoo was surprised by the strength in the other girl’s grip. Dainty in appearance, nothing about her would give away the strength that she seemed to possess.

“I’ll be the one guiding you from here. The trial will begin soon so I’ll help you get settled” Vivi stated, looking at Chaewon and Hyejoo expectantly. Chaewon sighed and moved closer to Jiwoo, her arms held open. “This is where we leave you” she said gloomily, her expression mirroring that of a mother leaving her child behind on the first day of school. Jiwoo was surprised at such a soft gesture coming from the girl but moved into her arms to return the hug anyways, tears of anxiety welling up in her eyes. “It will be okay Jiwoo, things will work out” the blonde asserted confidently, pulling away from Jiwoo’s hold. Not one for the emotional theatrics, Hyejoo moved closer to give Jiwoo a warm smile and a reassuring squeeze to the shoulder before she too moved away. Bidding one last goodbye, they turned down one of the corridors leading from the room as Jiwoo watched their retreating forms.

Seeming to not want to upset the girl further, Vivi approached Jiwoo slowly, as if not to startle her. “We should get going to” she said softly, placing a careful hand on Jiwoo’s elbow. Jiwoo didn’t respond as she allowed herself to be guided down a corridor different than the one Hyejoo and Chaewon had disappeared down. The corridor opened up into a large, dimly lit stone chamber, seemingly lit by a old-fashioned candle chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Entering from the side, Jiwoo could see a large gallery towards the back of the room filled with spectators. Searching the crowd, she spotted Chaewon’s bright blonde hair easily, allowing her to find Hyejoo sitting beside her as well. Over the short time she had spent with them, Jiwoo had found herself getting attached to the two girls, and the sight of their faces filled her with a sense of comfort.

Leading her towards a table centered towards the front of the room, Jiwoo was able to take in the large stone platform before her, taken up by the long bench that she assumed would be where the council sat. Behind each of the three high-backed chairs that sat at the bench, a large silk banner hung on the wall. The first banner depicted a white owl against a royal blue background, the second, a dove against emerald green, and the last, a swan against deep burgundy. After Jiwoo had been settled at her table, Vivi moved to stand before the bench. At this, the crowd murmured in anticipation of what was to come.

Vivi’s previously soft voice had been replaced with one of much more power as she stood facing the gallery to address the crowd. “Please rise to welcome the Council of Three” she called out, the authoritative tone of her voice taking over. Jiwoo could hear the shuffling above her as the crowd scrambled to stand up, her nerves creeping up on her once again. “Representing the werewolves and other shape-shifting races, council member Lip” Vivi announced, her voice echoing throughout the chamber. At the introduction, a hooded figure cloaked in a royal blue robe enter the room, swiftly moving to stand behind the chair backed by the matching blue banner. With their head still bowed, Jiwoo was unnerved that she couldn’t see the face of the mysterious council member, whose hood hid their features. Before Jiwoo could begin to analyze the council member present, Vivi began to speak again. “Representing the witches and other magical races, council member Haseul.” A second hooded figure in an emerald green robe entered the chamber, making their way to stand behind the second chair, head bowed as well. “Representing the vampires and other parasitic races, council member Yves.” Jiwoo flinched at the “parasitic” description, even though she knew it was technically true. The final council member entered in a deep burgundy robe, head bowed and features concealed.

Once the three members stood behind their respective seats, their heads raised in practiced synchronization, their hoods falling away from their faces. Jiwoo eyes immediately found themselves drawn to council member Yves, an almost scandalized gasp escaping from her throat. Instead of the face of a stranger, Jiwoo was shocked to find herself locking eyes with none other than the one and only Ha Sooyoung. Suddenly, the circumstances leading up to this moment began to organize themselves in her brain. It was why it was Sooyoung’s responsibility to apprehend Jiwoo, why Sooyoung gave off the impression of knowing more than she let on, why Sooyoung wasn’t there to see her off with Chaewon and Hyejoo. The presence of Sooyoung as a council member brought a sudden clarity over it all. Sooyoung, or Yves, as Jiwoo supposed she should refer to her as, didn’t break eye contact with Jiwoo but her face remained neutral, the previous warmth she had grown accustomed to seeing wiped clean from her face. Tearing her eyes away, she looked the other two council members over.

Haseul had a soft face but dark, striking eyes that seemed to analyze her surroundings. Her dark bobbed hair framed her pale face as she gazed over the crowd before her eyes landed on Jiwoo. Her expression, too, was completely neutral and it unnerved Jiwoo, who quickly moved her eyes to the last council member. Unlike the previous two, council member Lip’s proud face didn’t bother to hide her glower as she stared Jiwoo down, her light brown hair pulled away from her face in a high ponytail, her red irises glowing in the dim room. Standing in front of them, Jiwoo could easily feel the combined power radiating off of them, particularly off of Haseul. It was similar to the uneasy feeling she got when she had first approached the portal earlier, the sheer amount of magical energy present making her hair stand on end.

“You may all be seated.” Vivi’s echoing voice broke the tense silence that had descended upon the room. “With all council members present, the trial will now begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we get the big bad council! As a side note, I wanted the colors of the council to match the members but, unfortunately, I thought that red and burgundy were too close to each to be used for Kim Lip and Yves. I let Yves keep burgundy since I figured that it suited the vampires better and then gave blue to Kim Lip because it’s still a color from OEC and just seemed to fit werewolves in my brain for whatever reason.


	6. The Trial (Pt II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, spelling and grammar mistakes are my own!

Jiwoo sat in her chair and looked down at the table in front of her, fingers tracing the pattern of the wood grain. She didn’t want to look up and risk making eye contact with the council. Her eyes remained fixed on the table even as Vivi began to speak. “Today the council will be addressing the case of Kim Jiwoo. Ms. Kim, please stand before the council.” Jiwoo flinched from the scraping sound her chair made against the stone floor but kept her gaze downward. It was only when a new voice began to speak that she looked up.

It was Haseul that was speaking now, her light, clear voice ringing throughout the room. “Kim Jiwoo. Age: 23. Species: Vampire. Sire: Unknown” she rattled off, looking at the file that must have been placed before her while Jiwoo had been avoiding their gaze. Then, for the first time, Haseul addressed her directly. “Ms. Kim, do you know why your here today?” At Haseul’s surprisingly patient tone, Jiwoo felt a wave of shame wash over her. “Yes” she whispered out, voice barely audible in the otherwise silent room. “And do you know exactly how many people you’ve killed?” Jiwoo flinched back at the straightforwardness of the question, the last word ringing in her head as she shrunk into herself even more. She wanted to lie, to say that she could remember and take responsibility for every innocent life she had taken but she couldn’t. Her actions during her sprees were hazy at best, fogged up the sheer instinct that had taken over her at the time. It was pointless to lie though, she suspected that they already knew the truth. The question was just a formality. “No” she breathed out, bracing herself for what was to come.

Haseul paused before continuing, as if she was choosing her words carefully. “67 fatalities over the course of three weeks. It averages out to about three deaths a day.” Haseul leaned back in her chair and laced her fingers together on top of the bench. “It’s an abnormally high count, even for a newborn vampire. Such numbers also lead to dangerous amounts of exposure to humans, which violates sacred law held to all supernaturals to protect us. Human deaths are bad but exposure is even worse.” Jiwoo had barely heard the second part of what Haseul had said, shell shocked at the number of fatalities she had caused. She knew it had been bad but this...it was abhorrent. Her still heart squeezed in her chest, her hands dropping from the table and clenching at her sides. Any remaining fight that she had had left in her escaped her body, her hope vanishing along with it. Whatever punishment she got, she deserved. Even the worst punishment imaginable wouldn’t be able to make up for what she had done.

A different, raspier voice began to speak, much louder in volume than Haseul had been. Jiwoo didn’t need to look up to know that it must have been the last council member, the glowering Lip, who was speaking. “As it is sacred law that has been violated, it is not up to the Council of Three to determine a sentence. The consequence for all such violations have always been the same and will remain so. Should you be found guilty, Kim Jiwoo, you will be sentenced to death. The council will now allow you to present your defense.”

With the three council members looking towards her expectantly, Jiwoo didn’t what to say. It didn’t seem possible to talk herself out of this situation. As if sensing Jiwoo’s dilemma, Sooyoung spoke up for the first time. “Ms. Kim, did you set out with the intention of killing those people?” Jiwoo looked up to face the council, meeting Sooyoung’s gaze once again. “N-no, of course not! I didn’t want to hurt anyone but I couldn’t help it. It was like something took over me. I honestly don’t even remember hurting that many people...” she trailed off. Sooyoung gave a small smile at her answer before switching back to her blank expression.

“Have you learned to control that thirst?” Lip asked, eyes still boring into Jiwoo, intensified by their subtle glow. “That’s not fair, Lip” Sooyoung cut in angrily before Jiwoo could answer. “She doesn’t have a coven to teach her, she was abandoned by her sire.” “It’s even worse that she doesn’t have a coven! Are we just supposed to let her go and hope for the best? Just hope that she learns how to control herself? There’s no one else to take responsibility for her! And abandoned or not, coven or no, she still committed mass murder!” Lip retorted furiously. “Who hasn’t?!” a familiarly nasal voice shouted down from the gallery, accompanied by a tinkling laughter. Jiwoo’s heart grew warmer from the support but it wasn’t enough to offset the seriousness of the situation. At the interruption, council member Lip looked as if she were about to explode, her face growing redder by the second. Before she could open her mouth, Vivi cut in, trying to placate a situation. “A reminder to the bystanders that they are not to interrupt the proceedings of the court. Any further interruption will result in removal from the council chambers.” Lip settled back into her seat with a huff.

“Were you provoked by the humans in any way?” Haseul asked seriously, the only council member whose composure had yet to crack. “No” Jiwoo answered, her heart sinking in her chest. To her, it was becoming increasingly clear what the outcome of all of this would be. Haseul hummed in acknowledgement but didn’t say anything else.

“Ms. Kim, do you have something you’d like to add? Normally we wouldn’t come to conclusions so hastily but unless you have anything else to say, I think I’m ready to cast my vote” Lip said, her intense tone from before giving way to one of boredom. “No, I don’t have anything to add” Jiwoo responded, trying her best to keep her voice from wavering. At this, Vivi was the one who began to speak. “We’ll proceed with the voting then. Council member Lip, how do you vote?” There was no hesitation in the woman’s voice when she answered. “Guilty.” The single word echoed around the room. “Council member Haseul, how do you vote?” Haseul didn’t seem as eager to vote as Lip had been, taking the time to weigh her answer. She stared Jiwoo down, not in anger as Lip had done, but as if deep in thought.

Before Haseul could give her vote, Sooyoung cut through the silence, her voice thundering around the chamber. “What if we were to come to a compromise?” She asked calmly, the tone of her voice contrasting with the volume. At the suggestion, murmurs broke out across the room, prompting Vivi to silence the gallery once more. “What sort of compromise?” Haseul asked, interest sparked in her eyes. “A pardon under given conditions. The council is allowed to do that, are we not?” “Yves,” Lip said lowly, a dangerous edge in her voice, not seeming happy at the suggestion. Before she could say anything else, though, Haseul interrupted her. “Let Yves finish her proposal. What kind of compromise are you suggesting?”

“I believe that it isn’t fair to hold Ms. Kim fully accountable for what’s transpired. It’s illegal for sires to abandon their offspring within the first year for this very reason. Young vampires have trouble controlling themselves without guidance. If the main concern is that Ms. Kim will relapse without the proper guidance, then I propose for her to join my coven. If we pardon her, I’ll take the responsibility of teaching her.” At Sooyoung’s earnest words, the chamber erupted into an uproar, bystanders shouting their support or disagreement down at the council members. Jiwoo didn’t want to allow herself to hope but her heart swelled at Sooyoung’s words, making her feel less alone. She hadn’t expected Sooyoung to go out on such a limb for her. Haseul seemed to take the time to ponder the though while Vivi struggled to get control over the crowd once again.

Once people had settled back down in their seats, Lip didn’t wait for Vivi to ask her for her vote before she voiced it. “I reject council member Yves’ proposal” she asserted, still no hesitation in her voice. Haseul continued to lock eyes with Jiwoo as Vivi once again asked what her vote would be, this time in terms of the pardon. Before voting, Haseul turned to Yves once more. “Council member Yves, you are aware that should any further infractions be committed, you’ll be held responsible as well?” Sooyoung confidently nodded her head in acknowledgment, not wavering in the slightest. Once she had her confirmation, she turned back to Jiwoo. Sparing Jiwoo a small smile, Haseul gave her vote. “I accept council member Yves’ proposal. If she is willing to give Ms. Kim a chance, then, perhaps we should too.” At Haseul’s agreeance, Jiwoo felt her body relax, releasing the tension that she had been too occupied to notice had been building through the proceedings. She could hear Hyejoo and Chaewon cheering loudly in the distance as she turned to lock eyes with Sooyoung, hoping she could convey her thankfulness with her expression until they had a chance to speak later. Sooyoung’s face, which had lit up at Haseul’s agreeance, grew even brighter and she gave Jiwoo a proud smile, looking happier than Jiwoo had seen her yet.

Against the odds, Jiwoo had been saved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this two chapter update! Let me know what you think! I’ll try to be better about responding to the comments if you do want to leave one!


	7. Yes, we are a sisterhood. No, we are not a sorority.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter should’ve gone up a while ago. Oops...  
> Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors, I am terrible at proofreading.

It had been a few day since the trial had ended and Jiwoo was trying her best to grow accustomed to her life at the Ha manor. There were perks to the new lifestyle, of course. Sooyoung had given her the guest bedroom she had stayed in when she had first arrived, equipped with the soft bed and blackout curtains for her comfort. The fridge was always stocked, dragging down the chances of Jiwoo entering another “episode” down to almost zero. All of the creature comforts in the world couldn’t take away from the awkwardness from unfamiliarity, though. It was hard to get used to the idea that any one of the other permanent residents of the home could hear her every move, and she theirs. It felt strangely invasive, though Sooyoung had assured her though eventually she would learn to tune it out. And, as kind as the coven had been in welcoming her, they were still practically strangers whose first meeting stemmed from Jiwoo’s unfortunate run in with a law that she hadn’t even known existed. It was a lot to take in all at once.

The others, for their part, seemed to understand Jiwoo’s need for a bit of distance from them, always extending the invitation to join them but never pressing the matter when they were turned down. Hyejoo and Chaewon, in particular, often requested her presence, claiming that they were sick of spending time with only one another since Sooyoung always seemed to be occupied with other matters. “Not that we want to hang out with her anyways,” Hyejoo was always quick to point out whenever the topic arose, though Jiwoo noticed that her small pout seemed to say otherwise.

Speaking of Sooyoung, Jiwoo had hardly seen the other woman since the trial had ended, only hearing her enter and exit the house at random hours throughout the day. Chaewon and Hyejoo brushed it off as council business but Jiwoo had yet to properly thank her for quite literally saving her life. Even when Sooyoung was around, she always seemed to be locked up in her study doing whatever it was that she did. On the rare occasion that they crossed paths, Sooyoung managed to afford the other woman a small greeting before she was rushing off again. Jiwoo couldn’t help but feel a bit slighted at Sooyoung’s behavior but Chaewon had assured her that it wasn’t personal when she was there to witness Jiwoo’s face fall after one of these encounters. Instead of sulking, the red-haired vampire decided to take advantage of her now (endless) free time to relax into her new life. Her schedule has settled down into a steady rhythm over the past few days. She rose in the late afternoon, fed, took a walk in the gardens, showered, fed, played games or watched television with Hyejoo and Chaewon, and read, going to bed as the sun rose, continuing day after day.

It was during one of these lazy evenings, when Jiwoo found herself curled up in her bed, reading one the novels from Sooyoung’s seemingly endless collection, that the heavy oak door to the her bedroom violently swung open, the old hinges squeaking in protest of the sudden movement. Jiwoo looked up alarmed, as two figures hooded in red cloaks approached her. She had been so absorbed in reading that she hadn’t even noticed anyone approach her room. Had they approached the room or had they just appeared? Surely they couldn’t get past the magic barriers in place if they weren’t supposed to be there? Jiwoo scrambled to jump out of bed but her legs tangling in the sheets from her panicked movements, causing her to drop to the ground. Looking up from this position, still struggling to untangle herself, she could see the shadows of the features of the faces underneath the hoods, and her fear deflated as suddenly as it had come. She couldn’t help but scoff.

“Really you two? You couldn’t have knocked like normal people?” Jiwoo reprimanded, finally standing from the ground and smoothing down her clothes. Chaewon and Hyejoo remained silent but raised their heads enough so that Jiwoo could see the mirth in their eyes. Once they made eye contact, Hyejoo began to speak. “Kim Jiwoo, we are hear to guide you into the next phase of your journey” she droned on, forcing her voice to be deeper than usual, as Chaewon began to struggle to hold in her laughter as she watched. “Um...could you be a bit more specific?” Jiwoo asked, not being able to stop the incredulousness from seeping into her tone. “No offense but the last time you asked me to blindly follow you, I turned out to be a wanted criminal” she pointed out when they didn’t give her an answer. “Come on, Jiwoo! You’re ruining the vibe!” the raven-haired girl yelled, stomping her foot and throwing off her hood in frustration, as if she were about to start throwing a temper tantrum. At this, Chaewon couldn’t hold her laughter in any longer, beginning to cackle as she flung her head back, arms crossing over her stomach. Hyejoo just scowled as Jiwoo stood still, looking back and forth between the two of them, just as confused as before.

Once Chaewon had settled down, she too pulled off her hood. “It’s a new moon tonight so Sooyoung said it’s time to initiate you into the coven instead of just letting you live here rent-free.” “I have to pay rent when I join the coven? No one said anything about fees, I don’t have any money!” Jiwoo yelled, clearly distressed. No one said anything about money! Who knew you had to pay membership fees to join a supernatural coven of insanely powerful vampires? Not Jiwoo, that’s who. “No, it’s just a - you know what? Never mind.” Chaewon huffed back, her turn to scoff at Jiwoo’s absurd leaps in logic. “Anyways, Sooyoung is waiting for us and she’ll throw a bitch fit if we’re late for this” Hyejoo cut in, the tone of her voice back to its typical bored monotone. Although Jiwoo was relieved to hear that she didn’t actually have to pay the coven anything, a whole new set of questions rose. Jiwoo had assumed that once Sooyoung offered her to join, that was the end of it. None of the three other vampires had mentioned an initiation before this. Jiwoo supposed that there was no harm in voicing her question. “I thought I was already a part of the coven?” Chaewon hummed in understanding before answering. “I can see why you would be confused with everything that’s happened but no, you were formally invited to join the coven, the actual ceremony to initiate you hasn’t been performed yet. That’s what we’re going to do tonight.” With no more questions to ask, the three vampires quickly made their way out, their pace inspired by a want to avoid stoking Sooyoung’ s wrath.

The night sky was an inky black, speckled with constellations that Jiwoo had never seen before. With the moon hidden away for the night and the starlight being too weak to provide any substantial light, Jiwoo knew that she wouldn’t have been able to see her own hand in front of her face if she were still human. In her current state, though, Jiwoo could see as clearly as if it were the middle of the afternoon on a clear, sunny day. Perks of vampirism, Jiwoo supposed. As they made their way past the gardens, she realized that she was familiar with the path they were taking into the woods. It was the same way they had walked when they were looking for the clearing that the portal they had used had been set up in. Sure enough, as they kept walking, Jiwoo could see flickering candlelight coming from the same area.

As they approached, Jiwoo could see the changes that were made to the glade to make it more suitable for the night’s events. Candles had been carefully placed on top of the snow in the area, forming a rough circle around the middle of the clearing. In the middle of the circles sat a rough stone pedestal, looking as though it had been quickly and crudely hewn from a boulder. More interesting to Jiwoo than the pedestal, though, were the objects sitting on top of it. Side by side were a golden goblet and an ornate dagger, whose jeweled hilt shone like a beacon in the candle light. Jiwoo stared at the pair in awe. She had only ever seen things like this in a museum, had never considered that there were people out there who still owned and used them. Above the goblet and dagger sat an old leather bound book already open, which Jiwoo had no doubt came from Sooyoung’s collection. At the head of pedestal stood Sooyoung herself, hooded in a red robe different from her council robe, her features flickering eerily in the candlelight.

“You’re late.” Sooyoung said flatly in lieu of a greeting when she saw them approach. “Chill out Soo! The night is still young and we’re here now, aren’t we? Did you get lonely waiting for us?” Chaewon said cheekily, as if purposely trying to push Sooyoung into breaking her stoney facade. The muscle in Sooyoung’s jaw twitched but, instead of feeding into Chaewon, she simply announced that they were going to start the ceremony and moved to her position in the circle. “Are we gonna haze her? Ooh, I have so many ideas!” Hyejoo cackled happily, her and Chaewon exchanging different ways to “haze” Jiwoo, much to the redhead’s horror. Before they could get too carried away, Sooyoung cut in. “No one is getting hazed!” she snapped, much to Jiwoo’s relief. “This is an ancient ritual celebrating the union of vampires with common ideals to create an allegiance of strength and trust, not a college sorority on initiation day!” “I mean, a sorority is really just a sisterhood and aren’t we also technically a sisterhood? Being all women and all. And how do even know what a sorority is like? Did you even go to college?” Chaewon questioned doubtfully, pushing more and more of Sooyoung’s buttons as she continued to speak. Sooyoung seemed to take special offense to the perceived slight at her intelligence .“Yes! Multiple times, for your information!” She huffed out angrily. Just when she had settled back down, a quiet “Nerd...” could be heard from Hyejoo, who muttered almost silently as they all moved to join Sooyoung in the circle, knowing that they would all be able to hear her anyways.

Instead of responding to the insult, Sooyoung silently grabbed the dagger off of the pedestal and Jiwoo started when she slashed it against the palm of her hand without any hesitation, her blood glimmering in the candlelight as it dripped into the goblet below. Hyejoo looked on with wide eyes while Chaewon seemed unaffected. Continuing with the order of seniority, Sooyoung wiped the blade on the handkerchief that had been placed under the dagger before passing it to Chaewon, who then performed the action herself, the same lack of hesitation and determination on her face as Sooyoung. When it came to Hyejoo, the girl looked determined but uncertain. Jiwoo realized that, being the youngest of the three members, the last time the coven must have performed this ceremony was when Hyejoo was initiated, and now it was the girl’s time to be on the other end of the ritual. “It’s okay Hyejoo, you know it won’t hurt. Just one good one and you’re done. “ Chaewon whispered quietly, her hand snaking its way to Hyejoo’s waist in silent encouragement. The hand holding the dagger moved so quickly that Jiwoo wasn’t even sure if Hyejoo made the move to cut her hand until she saw the other girl’s blood dripping down into the goblet too. Instead of handing the dagger to Jiwoo, Hyejoo carefully cleaned it with the handkerchief before placing it back in its place on the pedestal. Sooyoung carefully picked up the cup and they all turned to Jiwoo and began to speak at once in rehearsed ease.

“Kim Jiwoo, we have gathered here tonight to formally offer you membership to the Council of the Swan. With this cup, we offer you our guidance. We vow not to turn a blind eye to our mistakes, instead we will use them to guide us into a better future. We will teach you the ways of the coven and of the world, refusing to dwell in ignorance. We will always strive for personal and intellectual growth, and will guide each other forward on this path. With our blood, we offer you our trust and our promise. We promise to always serve the common good of the coven and to make decisions according to this principle. We vow to never turn our backs on you and to protect you from harms way. We will stand united in the face of adversity and will never leave any member of this coven behind or in harms way. Membership to this coven is voluntarily but once it is done it cannot be undone, so consider carefully. Kim Jiwoo, do you accept our invitation?”

Jiwoo hesitated. This sounded a little more cult-y than what she had originally imagined. Her parents had always warned her about her naivety, always driving the point of not trusting strangers. Jiwoo was pretty sure that joining a coven of undead vampires who had their own oath, blood pact and all, somehow went against this lesson, even though it was something Jiwoo was entirely positive her parents never imagined could ever happen to their daughter. What other choice did she have though? She owed Sooyoung her life, literally. Every since she had turned, she always seemed to find herself backed into corners, where the only way out was to keep moving forward. This was just another one of those situations, she supposed.

“I accept” Jiwoo stated, reaching for the cup that Sooyoung offered her, her voice quiet yet steady. Her hands shook as she grabbed the cup, though, betraying her nervousness, and Sooyoung shot her one of her reassuring smile. Jiwoo took a deep breath and brought the goblet to her mouth, tipping it back to drink its contents. The first thing Jiwoo noticed was the taste. It was much different than human blood, lukewarm and almost sickly sweet, and Jiwoo recoiled at the initial sip. When cup was empty, she gingerly handed it back to Sooyoung, who placed it back down on the pedestal before she continued to speak.

“Through this ceremony we have shown you our dedication. The membership to the coven, however, is a reciprocal relationship. In order for it to truly be solidified, you must also offer up your trust to us.” Jiwoo shifted back and forth on her feet, her eyes scanning the three vampires who stood circled around her, their faces expressionless. “Um...well, you see, I am totally willing to do that for you guys but I just...don’t exactly know how I’m supposed to show that” she confessed, laughing nervously as she continued to rock back and forth on the balls of her feet. Before she could begin to ramble about the possibilities, Chaewon spoke up in her airy voice.

“We’re going to drink from you” she stated bluntly, taking a step towards Jiwoo, who unconsciously took a step back. Chaewon raised an eyebrow at Jiwoo, as if challenging her, but didn’t make a move to come any closer. Jiwoo began her nervous laughter once again, now one step closer to hysteria. It was Sooyoung this time who moved to break the circle, walking to place a hand lightly on Jiwoo’s shoulder. “I promise it won’t hurt” she said quietly, looking Jiwoo in the eyes. “It’s tradition but it will be over before you know it. We’ll stop here if you want, though, we won’t force you to do this.” Jiwoo shook her head, steeling herself. They had already gotten this far into the night. What good would it do her to stop here?

Turning back to Chaewon, she gave a small nod to signal that she was ready and Chaewon began to walk towards her once more. Once she was standing directly in front of Jiwoo, she took the girls hand in her own and brought it up to her mouth. Not giving Jiwoo any time to second guess her decision, Chaewon sank her teeth in Jiwoo’s wrist. Jiwoo flinched at the initial prick of Chaewon’s fangs but the pain quickly melted away into a cooling, numbing sensation. Jiwoo was surprised to find that it was almost enjoyable. “Is that what it feels like to have a vampire drink from you?” she couldn’t help but wonder. It gave her a little bit a peace to know that maybe it wasn’t as painful as she had initially thought and that maybe not everyone she had drank from had suffered.

Once Chaewon was finished, she wiped her mouth haphazardly with the back of her hand before moving back to her place. It was Hyejoo who stepped forward next. As she came closer, Jiwoo could see that Hyejoo looked almost as nervous as she felt. She was much more gentle than Chaewon was, and grabbed Jiwoo’s wrist softly, giving her a shy smile before bringing her wrist to her lips. Jiwoo was surprised by this since Hyejoo had always given off much more of an aggressive and downright scary vibe. Jiwoo was taken aback by the girl’s gentleness and shyness but didn’t say anything. When Hyejoo finished drinking, she carefully wiped Jiwoo’s wrist with her cloak before she too moved back into her position.

Finally it was Sooyoung’s turn and Jiwoo felt an uptick in nervousness as the eldest woman came closer. Of the three, Jiwoo had spent the least time with Sooyoung by far and, as a result, felt the least comfortable around her. Sooyoung always seemed so elegant and proper in Jiwoo’s eyes, so powerful that she seemed untouchable. Even though her kindness belied her cold, serious facade, Jiwoo still felt unnerved as she approached. When she was standing directly in front of Jiwoo, the redhead noticed that it was now Sooyoung who shifted uncomfortably in front of her, a contrast to her usual show of confidence. “Traditionally, coven leaders don’t feed from the wrist like the rest of the members do during initiation” she said, eyes lowered to the ground to avoid Jiwoo’s. “Okay...” Jiwoo trailed off uncertainly. Jiwoo wasn’t sure where Sooyoung was going with this until she felt soft hands settle on either side of her face andsuddenly Sooyoung was much closer than she was before. Jiwoo froze in place but didn’t try to resist what was happening. Maybe she was too shocked to. Sooyoung used her hands to carefully tilt Jiwoo’s head to the side and Jiwoo held her breath as she felt Sooyoung’s lips hovering over her neck, her breath cool against the sensitive skin that laid there. At this, Jiwoo felt her entire body flush with a combination of embarrassment and anticipation. She didn’t even know vampires could blush, for god’s sake. Before she could talk herself into a full meltdown, Sooyoung’s fangs pierced her neck and she began to drink. Where Chaewon and Hyejoo’s bite had provided a pleasant numbing sensation to the area, Sooyoung’s bite felt searing hot at first before it settled into a full body rush. It was a blinding pleasure that made Jiwoo feel like she was on top of the worked and she couldn’t help but feel disappointed when Sooyoung pulled away. She almost wished that Sooyoung would do it again, although she didn’t dare voice this out loud. Sooyoung didn’t meet Jiwoo’s burning gaze as she quietly returned to her spot.

Before Jiwoo could think too much into what had just transpired, Chaewon gave a loud clap that seemed to echo through the silent forest and smiled brightly. “Well, now I guess it’s official. Welcome to the club!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was almost twice as long as I thought it would be but I hope you all enjoyed! Next chapter we’ll get to see a little bit more of 1/3 so look out for that!


	8. Graveyard Whistling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the unintended hiatus, this has actually been written since August but was never posted because it was originally only going to be the first half of chapter 8. I decided to just split the chapter in half and post it on its own. Hopefully chapter 9 will be coming soon since I’d like to get more out before college starts again! As always, I tried my best to proofread but...no guarantees.

Sooyoung hated graveyards. She didn’t hate them because she was afraid, not in the way that mortals feared them for their reminder of death, but the atmosphere always made her uneasy. She would never face death the way the people who laid here had, at least not in any peaceful way. Humans feared death, but at least they could be confident in a definitive end. Sooyoung had the displeasure of looking towards her future and seeing it stretch on endlessly. She wasn’t even old, not in vampiric terms at least. There were many who were hundreds, if not thousands, of years older than her, but that didn’t fill her with any semblance of comfort. What are you supposed to do with your time when you have all the time in the world? She had all the time in the world to figure it out, she supposed.

She stood next to the oldest tomb in the cemetery, the waxing moon casting long shadows from the tombstones onto the dead grass and snow. The eerie silence felt suffocating as she hugged her jacket tighter around herself, the December wind blowing through the empty branches of the surrounding trees. It was one of the coldest nights of the winter so far and Sooyoung was grateful that the could barely feel the cold. She was hardly ever the first to arrive to meetings, but she was certain that this was the meeting spot. Despite her certainty, there didn’t seem to be another soul in sight. The others were late, she thought, as she leaned back against the crumbling stone. 

Minutes passed without any sign of the others and Sooyoung’s patience was growing thin when, finally, she could make out the rustling of someone, or something, running through the forest that bordered the cemetery. As they drew closer to the graveyard, Sooyoung could hear a switch from the rushed sprinting to a more leisurely gait, the crunching of underbrush being trampled replaced by a gentle padding of paws on grass, approaching her from behind. When Sooyoung felt a presence behind her, the sound of paws switched again to a set of footsteps much more human in their nature. Sooyoung wasn’t alarmed, though. She knew exactly who it was.

“You’re late” the vampire huffed out in frustration, not bothering to turn around. “I know, I’m sorry,” the newcomer responded, their voice becoming clearer as its owner began to walk around Sooyoung to face her. “Jinsol got stuck in a tree again while playing hide-and-seek with Yerim. It’s like the second time this week already. I keep telling her not to climb up if she can’t get down, but you know she never listens.” Despite the exasperation in the girl’s tone, Sooyoung could see the smile of affection crawling its way onto the other woman’s face. “Don’t they always play after transforming? Couldn’t Jinsol just jump down?” Sooyoung asked with a chuckle, pointing out what she thought would be a fairly obvious solution but Jungeun just shrugged her shoulders in response as she scanned the area. Jungeun could fake being annoyed all she wanted, but everyone in their circle knew that she thought Jinsol’s antics were charming. Sooyoung couldn’t judge too harshly though, not when she admittedly had an soft spot for Jinsol as well, and her affection towards her friend helped tamper down her annoyance at Jungeun’s late arrival.

“Wait, why are you mad at me if I’m not even the last one to get here?” Jungeun asked incredulously when she failed to locate the last member of their trio in her once-over of graveyard. Sooyoung snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. “Trust me, I have enough annoyance for the both of you. I’ll make sure to let Haseul know too once her ass finally shows up.” Before Jungeun could respond, a new voice suddenly cut into their conversation.

“Let Haseul know what?” the voice asked, mockery dripping from their words. “Jesus Christ, Haseul! I hate it when you do that shit! Can’t you just walk like a normal person?” Jungeun screamed out, hands dramatically clutched over her heart, her voice amplified in the empty air of the night. Sooyoung laughed at her words, using Jungeun’s dramatics to hide that she too jumped at the sudden appearance of the new arrival. “It’s not my fault you two are so jumpy. Maybe you should work on that.” Jungeun moved her hands onto her hips and opened her mouth to retort when Sooyoung cut in, sensing that their meeting was about to quickly be derailed by bickering.

“Sorry to interrupt your impending brawl but can you just tell us why we’re here. Some of us have things we would rather be doing than standing in the middle of a graveyard in the middle of the night.” Haseul hesitated as she turned away from Jungeun, her eyebrows drawing together to cast a shadow onto her face. Her playful expression morphed into one much more serious as she seemed to consider what she was about to say carefully, biting her lip as she avoided eye contact with the other two girls. When she finally looked up, her expression was calm but Sooyoung could see fear lingering in her eyes. The sight immediately set off red flags for Sooyoung. Haseul was never afraid, or she never showed it, at least. This was Haseul, who possessed more power in her pinky than Sooyoung and Jungeun combined. Haseul, who was always seemed level-headed, and brought that same calmness to solving any and all obstacles that she faced. She hadn’t even heard whatever news Haseul brought for them but, if Haseul was afraid, Sooyoung was terrified.

When Haseul finally began talking, her voice was much softer than it had been before. “There have been more attacks lately. More severe than the others. In the latest, almost an entire coven was wiped out.” She said every word with a measured carefulness but Sooyoung was confused. Sure, the news was horrible, but she didn’t understand the caution in Haseul’s voice as she told them this. Jungeun seemed to share this confusion and looked between Haseul and Sooyoung, her forehead scrunched up, hands back on her hips. “Is that it?” she asked. “I mean, yeah, that’s unfortunate but did we really have to come all the way here for you to tell us that? I’m sure an email or even a text would’ve worked.” Haseul rubbed her eyes before her arms fell to her sides, hanging limply. “There’s more” she sighed. “Whoever, or whatever, did this left a calling card of sorts at the last few scenes. I felt like this was something that should be discussed in person.” Haseul turned her head toward Sooyoung, her gaze seeming to search for something in the other girl’s eyes, her expression unreadable once again. Sooyoung wasn’t sure what Haseul was about to say, but the uneasy feeling she got from the way Haseul was looking at her told her that she probably wasn’t going to like it. 

“Jungeun, do you remember the case files Sooyoung and I gave you when you were first appointed to the council?” Haseul asked, her gaze remaining trained on Sooyoung’s face. “The ones covering the history and key decisions of the council? I mean yeah, you guys drilled it into my head. It’s kind of hard to forget,” Jungeun answered, confusion coloring her voice. “I’m not sure I understand what that has to do with this though.” Sooyoung didn’t understand either. Sure, the case files were important in record keeping and in trial, but she didn’t see how thousands of pages of history that were broken out a few times a year could explain why they were standing amongst gravestones on a Thursday night.

“They left purple carnations around the bodies” Haseul said steadily, still looking at Sooyoung. Sooyoung felt her body turn to ice and, for the first time that evening, she felt the cold seep into her. Whether it was from the winter night or from fear, Sooyoung didn’t want to take the time to figure it out. “Purple carnations?” Sooyoung asked, her voice cracking. Sooyoung now felt Jungeun’s eyes on the side of her face as well, but she refused to turn to face her. Jungeun looked between the two other women slowly, still feeling as though she were missing something. It wasn’t like Haseul to be so roundabout in her way of speaking, and it certainty wasn’t like Sooyoung to suddenly become so timid. Jungeun considered her words carefully before beginning to speak. “Weren’t they the symbol used by-” “Yes,” Sooyoung cut it shortly, her voice hardened to not betray the fear that washed over her body in a wave. She shoved her hands into the pocket of her leather jacket to hide them turning into fists as she finally tore her gaze away from Haseul’s. “I thought that its use was outlawed after the coven was eradicated by the slayer, the one who couldn’t be tracked down, and the records say that there weren’t any survivors. Is it a just a copycat?” Jungeun asked, trying to link together all the information that Haseul had given them. “I don’t think so. There were survivors. The records are wrong, they were falsified by the council.” Haseul said weakly, her head tilting back to face the sky. “Falsified by the council? Why would they do that? Wait, weren’t you two already on the council at the time? Why did you falsify the records? What’s going on you two?” Before Jungeun could continue her cascade of questions, Sooyoung cut in once again, her voice much quieter than it had been previously. “Haseul, are you sure? It’s not that I don’t believe you but...I need you to be sure about this.” Sooyoung didn’t mean to sound like she was pleading, but she would’ve done anything for Haseul to be wrong just this once. But Haseul was almost never wrong. 

Without answering, Haseul reached into her long wool coat and pulled out a manila envelope, which she handed over to Sooyoung silently. Sooyoung quickly emptied the contents into her hands, her heart sinking further in her chest with every passing second. The envelope contained pictures shot like crime scene photos, detailing the carnage that had occurred. And, sure enough, carefully placed around the bodies were purple carnations. Sooyoung felt sick as she passed the photos to Jungeun, who let a out low whistle as she shuffled through them, her face paling in the moonlight as she examined them. “Sorry for keeping this from the both of you, I wanted some confirmation before I dropped all of this onto you,” Haseul explained as she waited for the other two women to finish examining the photos. “Whatever this means, it isn’t good.”

Sensing that Sooyoung had likely checked out for the night, Haseul took it upon herself to face Jungeun, who was still looking at her expectantly. She still hadn’t answered any of her questions. “There are a few council secrets that I suppose Sooyoung and I failed to fill you in on, and I promise you that we will tell you at some point soon. Tonight we have more pressing matters to attend to.” “Can I at least ask why we’re in a cemetery specifically?” she pressed on, wanting to leave this confusion behind and return to her warm bed, and the woman who she knew was laying in it. Haseul’s wide smile returned as she answered. “We’re here to get information!” she exclaimed, spreading her arms wide to gesture to the surrounding cemetery, confusing Jungeun even further. “From who?!” “From the dead silly!” Jungeun suddenly wished that she hadn’t asked anything at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it seems like Sooyoung and Haseul have been up to some shady business in the past. I guess it’s time for them to come clean... The rest of 1/3 are coming next chapter, I swear!


End file.
